THE GOOD NEWS OF AN ALTERNATE PERSPECTIVE.

A FRESH PERSPECTIVE

The same problem looks different depending on the angle from which you view it. For example, a CEO of a large corporation views the problem of unemployment from a different perspective than does a worker at Wendys. A person whose family consists of an intact marriage, good economic resources, and three young children views the future different from a single mom trying to balance childcare, a waitress job, and feelings of despair.

When you are talking to a person who is struggling with a problem, consider the impact if you could offer them an entirely new perspective from which to view their problem. As a member of a church, you have the opportunity to offer a different angle on the problems of the world than that from which many people think.

CONSIDER WORSHIP AS A PERSPECTIVE

Engaging in the acts that are part of a worship service, when properly understood, offers an alternative world-view from which to examine our problems. Consider these possibilities:

1. To praise God is to be reminded that God is Lord of the world.
2. To confess sins is to remember that we are more than our sins.
3. To pray for people trapped by hunger, war, and political upheaval can help place our lives in perspective.
4. Scripture reminds us that the great questions of life have been struggled with by people across time and different cultures.
5. The offering is a visible sign of our commitment to reach beyond ourselves and to recognize that what we have is a gift.
6. Hymns and anthems integrate feelings into our faith expression.
7. A benediction opens us to the  blessings of our life and that we are not alone as we re-enter our society.

Once we begin to recognize the language of our alternate world, we begin to see the value that our faith community might offer to others as well.

1. If we struggle with materialism, what does stewardship do to help us in that struggle?
2. If we struggle with the various ways our society divides people up, how are we helped by the church’s vision of community?
3. If we struggle with guilt and self-blaming, what does our understanding of confession ande forgiveness contribute to that issue?
4. If we struggle with our understanding of commitment, what does our understanding of covenant contribute?
5. If we struggle with the pressures of time, what does the understanding of the Sabbath contribute?
6. In a world torn by conflict, disagreements, and violence, how are we informed by understanding Christ as our peace?
7. If we are struggling with our sense of worth and purpose, how does our understanding of call affect our thinking?
8. In times of despair, what does the Christian understanding of hope provide?

This is not to suggest that the solution to people’s problems is easy. It does suggest that reflecting on such problems from the perspective of the resources of the faith developed over thousands of years can offer fresh understanding.

BEGIN WITH FRIENDS

Christianity is a communal affair. Invite a couple of friends to join you in  talking about this alternate worldview. Pick a worldly topic such as wealth. Agree that for the next half-hour or more, all of you will try to speak to that issue from the perspective of your understanding of the Christian tradition. What, in each of your understandings, does the Christian faith have to say about how we respond to the issue of wealth in our lives?

Don’t worry about the fact that different people will have different understandings of the faith . Simply listen to each other as you try to examine the topic from the perspective of faith. I think you will find that your faith is a rich resource and that it will expand your understanding.